Aimless: Meaningless Crossovers
by The Silent Insomniac
Summary: My online repository for plot bunnies and concepts that wouldn't leave me alone, tied to my Spyro fanfic "Aimless". Expect crossovers with other fandoms, other fanfics, even itself! I'll try to stay faithful to established canon, but that may change to better fit the concept. Each entry is independent from each other UNLESS SPECIFIED OTHERWISE. Thanks for reading, then. Enjoy!
1. Entry 1: Advice and Answers

** Author's Notes:**

11/05/2019 edit: changed chapter title, story title, and story summary to reflect new purpose for this story.

A plot bunny that refused to leave me alone until I wrote it.

This is a crossover shortfic featuring Joshua from my fanfic _Aimless_ and Ever Riley from _The Impossible Sky_. Two humans who found themselves in another world somehow meet and talk to each other. One gets advice, while the other gets answers.

Written with the approval of SnickerToodles and ported over to public domain with permission from same.

Aimless timestamp: 1M.

Enjoy!

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_First Entry: Aimless x The Impossible Sky_

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**Advice and Answers**

"_Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't."_

_\- Erica Jong_

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"Lord, I must be dreaming."

Joshua Renalia said to himself, unable to make heads or tails of the situation he found himself in this time.

The apparition in front of him—a blonde human who looked old enough to pass as his grandmother—reached for his shoulder. She hesitated, as though he too was a ghost, a mere figment of her imagination. Her diffidence was fleeting for not even a second passed when her cerulean eyes shone with determination and she pinched him.

"Eek!" the young man let out an uncharacteristically pathetic whine and recoiled. "Don't do that!" He slapped her hand away. Only when he felt, and heard, his skin meeting hers did he realize that he wasn't dreaming at all.

Or was he?

Ol' Gran-gran's reaction knocked his out of the proverbial ballpark. She choked on her own saliva. She raised her hand and cupped her mouth, stifling a sob. Tears fell down her eyes.

Joshua cocked an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you, granny?" he said. "You're acting like you haven't seen another human your entire life." Where the f*ck was he anyway? His eyes scanned their surroundings. It's a house. A house in a clearing in the middle of a f*cking forest. The gamer ambled to what was clearly a wooden door. Made for someone the size and shape of a human being, he observed.

Great! Looks like he wasn't in Warfang anymore. Thank f*cking God. "Ma'am," he said, absentmindedly, "would you mind showing me to your living room?" Christ's balls, hopefully Dad hadn't changed his number. Who knows how much time passed when he was stuck in the Realms. "I have a phone call to—

He felt Gran-gran wrap her arms around his waist. Joshua rounded on her. "Whoaaa! What's this about?" She clung to him, held him tight. The gamer blanched when this old lady just hugged him out of the blue and leaned into his chest.

"Lady, sorry if I sound disrespectful, but I don't know you and I DEFINITELY do not do cougars—

"You're real," she said. "You're really real..."

"...what the hell?"

He didn't want to hurt her, but he wanted her OFF of him, like, now. Joshua gently wrapped his fingers around her fragile arms and tugged her until she reluctantly let go. He looked into her eyes and saw a combination of surprise, melancholy, relief, and—

How the hell did he know all of this? Wait a minute... Joshua narrowed his eyes on this strange, bizarre granny and focused. He looked at her. No, he emptied his mind and, with a glaze forming over his eyes, looked beyond her, grasping for...

Oh no.

Oh HELL no.

Joshua could see her sphere of life, rapidly changing colors, erratically shrinking and growing from the chaotic thoughts that were surely assaulting her within. He still had his power. He still had the Unknown Element. He could still feel the life signatures of people a few hundred meters away, a brief "scan" of their pulses revealing they weren't human.

An anvil of emotions slammed into the gamer. He felt dizzy. "I, I need to sit down." Joshua spotted a chair nearby—one of two, with a small table between them—and dropped his ass onto it.

Gran-gran gave him a wry smile. "I'm, sorry. I didn't mean to overwhelm you like that. It's just... I haven't seen another person in decades."

Joshua eyed her. He cogitated on his reply. Should he... nah, he shouldn't. He must be dreaming. He definitely must be dreaming. This was a lucid dream. That'd explain why everything felt so vivid, so real. He needed to wake up before Kilat did a Pikachu and thundershock him awake...

...but he just couldn't resist going with the flow. Who knows? Maybe his subconscious wanted to talk to him. Christopher Nolan's Inception was all about this kind of shit.

"Another human, you mean?"

"Y-yes. That's right. How'd you know?"

Joshua eyed her. She wore clothing. (Duh! why didn't he notice _that_ before?) It resembled those medieval clothes LARPers loved to trot around in as they happily made fools of themselves in public. The same clothes he was wearing, he noticed upon glancing down.

"Personal experience," Joshua said. He evaluated their surroundings again, but this time with scrutiny. The house had the work of Moles written all over it. He could recognize their architecture anywhere. The vegetation around them, he recognized those too. There was the Lemegeton tree, with its curled, eyelash-shaped leaves. He also recognized the tree bearing blue and red berries, and the shrub with the yellow ones—that shit almost killed him once!

And the most telling sign of all? The bush of red crystals sprouting from the ground, right where the ground sloped downward. A house on a hill in the middle of a forest. Was his mind drawing information from those Aesop's fables he used to read?

He threw the bomb at Ol' Gran-gran. "Ma'am, are we in Warfang?" Joshua could barely see the city past the trees. Were they in Fracture Hills? Vara said this place was uninhabited for environmental reasons. Since when did the Council allow this? "I can't even see the walls from here..."

Joshua's question stunned the old lady. Her mouth dropped open. She couldn't speak for a full ten seconds. He resisted the urge to groan. "Guess that answered my question."

Seeing the inquisitive look on granny's face, he addressed the elephant in the room. "I'm a gamer. _Was_ a gamer, back home. Spyro was my all-time favorite series, and I loved everything before the devs desecrated him with _Skylanders_. I've played and replayed all those games enough to recognize places from _Classic_ or _Legend_."

"I, see." The old lady nodded. "Those are, terms I've heard before, a few times."

Probably not an avid gamer like he'd been, then. Joshua rerated her a bit lower. He felt a little disappointed. She was the second human he saw in God knew how long, and it just had to be a normie.

"How long have you been here?" she beat him to the question.

"By my count, probably longer than a month in our calendar. The days here feel longer, to be honest."

Gran-gran went quiet. Unsettingly quiet. It went beyond Joshua's expectations. He anticipated more questions from her, maybe questions about Earth, like what year it was, whether Donald Trump became President, stuff that wouldn't have reached him at all if it weren't so pervasive on Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.

"Errrrrr..."

"And where have you been during this entire time?"

"The Temple. It's all I've ever known. They put me under room arrest. It sucks but at least I'm not dead. I've got Cyn and Volteer to thank for that."

Her eyes suddenly widened, as though she came to an epiphany.

"What? Was it something I said?"

"Kid, I'm friends with them. They would've told me about you the first chance they got."

"Friends? With Cynder and Volteer?" Joshua shoved away a nagging feeling that suddenly sprouted in his head and scoffed. "Last I checked, ma'am, I was the first human who ever showed up in Warfang. Pardon my language, but I wouldn't have had to go through a lot of f*cked-up shit if you've been living here for years."

Her eyes darted to his limp arm. "I'm friends with **all** of them," she said, slowly.

Joshua sank in his chair. He had to accept it. The gamer buried his face in his hands. "Just my f*cking luck. I'm teleported to this f*cking dragonland, and now I find myself in a different parallel universe of the same place. Goddammit. I swear, it's like someone's toying with me..."

"I thought so," said the old lady. "Do you want a cup of tea? There should be some in the pantry, I think."

Joshua raised his hand. "Hold up. You mean this isn't your house?"

She smirked. "I never said that to begin with, kid."

Gran-gran left the gamer alone. He sat in his chair. Joshua didn't want to think anymore, not right now. If he did, he would go insane. He'd have to worry about Kilat back in the other Warfang, then concern himself with the changes here. This Warfang was likely just as f*cked up as the one he just came from. He was sure of it.

He was really sure of it.

Joshua didn't realize Gran-gran came back until a cup of hot tea was placed in front of him. It was actually a bowl. Something for Kilat's size.

The grandma had just taken a sip from her own cup when she said, "I just realized, I never got your name."

"It's Joshua, ma'am."

"I'm Ever." Another smirk. "You can stop calling me 'grandma' in your head now."

"W-wh-what—no, I would never—!"

"_Obviously_ I was a teen once. My attitude towards the elderly back then were... similar."

"...okay, ma'am, you got me."

"Stop that 'ma'am' business. You're making me feel old. Ah, and just to let you know, Spyro and Cynder live here. They're out on a quick flight right now, but they'll be back in a jiffy."

Joshua immediately spat out his tea and went to his feet. What the f*ck! "We gotta get out of here!" He blinked. "No, I need to get out of here! He'll try to kill me—

Ever stood up and held him. "He won't, kid. He won't. Spyro's one of the nicest dragons who's ever lived. Trust me. I'm one of his closest friends. He will help you."

"No! You don't understand, Ever. He'll kill me the second he sees me!"

With hands on her hips, Ever said, "Now just what makes you think that? He's Spyro. The hero."

Joshua hesitated. Should he show her? Was she changed too, like him? Like all those people in the bad fanfiction?

Ah, you know what, f*ck it. This was probably a dream and he was gonna wake up soon. Best to just roll with it.

Joshua draped his sense of self around Ever—whose cold sphere clearly indicated she didn't believe a single thing coming out of his mouth—and the vegetation around the house. Insert a harmless little "purpose" in there, and voila! His right hand started glowing white and a cloud of energy formed around the fingertips. "There. See this? That's why."

"Huh. Would you look at that." Ever bent down. "That's... well, I didn't know you came with superpowers, Joshua."

"It's an Element."

"Like what the dragons have?"

"Yes."

Ever pouted. "I didn't show up with this. I'm just a plain jane mortal, trapped in a whole other world with no way back. So what does this have to do with Spyro wanting you dead?"

"It's an Unknown Element!"

Ever's face remained deadpan.

He facepalmed. "Look, I've only just learned to start using it properly. Cynder and Volteer—MY Cynder and Volteer haven't discovered everything about this yet, but this thing has killed people. Spyro's gonna kill me the second he lays eyes on me—

"I'm going to kill who what now?"

The familiar voice sent shivers down Joshua's spine. The small, white cloud suddenly vanished. When Joshua turned to face the other voice he blanched, for Spyro himself was touching down on an open section of the front yard, with Cynder not too far behind.

Joshua stepped back. This Spyro was even bigger than the one he was dealing with. As tall, as wide, as bulky as a full-grown adult dragon. His purple scales were hardened from fighting. His horns were as jagged, S-shaped ice picks. And the brimming muscles beneath that gold and purple hide... a scaley would have prostrate the dragon once he saw it all in person.

"A second human!" he said, voice practically booming in Joshua's enhanced hearing. "That's not something you see all the time."

"Spyro, that's not something you see at all." Cynder touched down beside him. Like Spyro, she stood several heads above Joshua. A fully-grown dragoness, her magenta scales glinting beautifully in the sunlight. They complimented her black hide marvelously, and even Joshua couldn't help but mutter to himself that she was more beautiful and regal in this world. "And look, it's a male. He looks even younger than Ever was when she freed us from the time crystal."

Joshua whipped his head at the old lady. She played a role in the DotD story? Did she let them out early or what? Damn. How long had she been living in the Realms?

He faced the two dragons once more. No, he couldn't think about this stuff right now. "Spyro, stay back! Keep away from me!"

Joshua separated himself from Ever. He made sure nothing stood between him and the side of the house. He could escape through the backyard. Hopefully he could pull off complete imperceptibility as well as he did in Alona Hall—that was a bitch to visualize.

Spyro glanced at Cynder once before they parted. The latter approached Ever (who had been walking towards the dragoness the second Joshua stepped away from her) wile the former padded towards the gamer. "You, know me?"

Joshua quaked at the sight of Spyro's natural weapons. His teeth, his horns, his claws. All of them looked incredibly more dangerous, more imposing than they had ever been in the other world.

"Of course I do, _Savior_! Now get back."

"Savior?" the dragon chuckled. "Now that's something I haven't heard in years."

"I said get back!" The Unknown Element manifested next to Joshua as a lance of light floating above his head. The human's hand was cocked at the shoulder, ready to "fling" the ethereal weapon the moment he whipped his arm forward. "Look, I'm not here to hurt anyone."

Spyro recoiled at the sight of the magic spear materializing before his eyes. "Whoa! You can use magic! What's wrong with you? Put that away, boy, before someone gets hurt."

"Just stay the f*ck away from me!"

Any moment now, and he was going to attack. The Purple Dragon would cloak himself in Dragon Time and take him down before anyone realized it, his neck caught between those teeth. Joshua didn't trust this "gentle" approach one bit. He'd turn on him the second he let his guard down.

Cynder motioned at him with her wings, catching his attention. "Joshua," she spoke. It was so weird, hearing her say his name with the same voice he came to know and draw security from. "Calm down. Spyro will not hurt you. You can trust him."

When Joshua remembered he could at least tell when someone was lying straight to his face, he felt quite stupid. The gamer drew himself into his sixth sense, appraised Spyro's and Cynder's life signatures, and found...

Nothing.

He found nothing.

The violent swirling and continuous, unabated contractions that often terrified Joshua every single time he observed Spyro's sphere of life was remarkably absent. Aside from fluctuations arising from what Joshua had long classified as astonishment, the pulse had even closed in on itself but only up to a certain point. From his experience, that suggested worry, anxiety. Emotions that Spyro would never direct at him to begin with.

Cynder's sphere of life was remained the way it was. It didn't turn warm at the sight of him, making it even more painfully clear that this Cynder wasn't the same dragoness who empathized with his situation and stood against the entire city and her own mate to fight for him and his right to live freely.

Joshua hid his own disappointment as best he could when he locked eyes with Cynder. He gawked at her mate. "You... you aren't scared of my Element?"

"Your Element?" Spyro asked. "You mean that thing?" He eyed the floating, white lance. "That's actually an Element? I don't recognize it."

"I don't expect you to," Joshua replied. "But... really? You're not gonna do anything?"

"Not unless you're gonna hurt someone with that thing. Now put it away and let's talk."

Joshua hesitated. "I..."

He panned his viridian gaze from right to left. An unusually approachable Spyro. A cold stranger wearing Cynder's hide. An old human lady suffering from eye cataracts. All displayed no aggression.

"I..."

Only warmth.

"I'm..."

Acceptance.

"Okay."

Joshua relinquished the image he'd been visualizing. The lance dissipated shortly. With nothing to protect him now, Spyro could kill him and he'd have no way to resist.

The dragon strolled to him. He loomed above the gamer, a large shadow falling upon him. Joshua flinched. It took all his willpower to stay still when Spyro raised his forepaw—and all those frighteningly sharp claws—and clasped him on the shoulder.

"See? Nothing to be afraid of. Now calm down. Let's go have a seat and talk. They said your name's Joshua. Why not tell us more about yourself?"

Joshua's mind went blank. Hugging the massive purple dragon in front of him was the first thing he did. He sobbed.

"Ancestors! He is not okay." Joshua felt Spyro turn his neck. "Ever, come with me. Let's get this kid sorted out in the yard. Cyn, follow us once you're done checking in on Lillian."

"Yes, my love."

.

.

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.

.

Joshua held nothing back. He was sick and tired of lying, of feeding people bullshit. The gamer, leaning back on a tree, told them everything.

Kilat, the dragoness he adopted.

The Unknown Element.

The incident at the Gates, including Infernus's scheme to assassinate Cynder and pin the blame on Joshua.

Room arrest in the Temple.

Spyro's constant aggression towards him.

Employment as a manual scavenger.

Cynder and Spyro's most recent fight over him in the Audience Chamber.

And of course, his trauamatic experience with Kaos.

By the time he was finished, the sun had started to set. The twin moons emerged in the sky. Ever sat between the two dragons, cradling a gray-scaled whelp even smaller than Kilat in her arms. Spyro's pensive expression couldn't hide the shock echoing in his soul.

"Joshua, to sum up everything you've said, you're originally from Ever's home, but you ended up in Warfang, about... four years after the War?"

"Yes."

"And... I hate you?" Spyro squirmed uncomfortably. "That doesn't sound like me."

Joshua nodded. "I'm not shitting you, man. It's true! You've tried to kill me a few times already, once behind Cynder's back." A frown appeared on this Cynder's muzzle. She probably couldn't imagine her mate doing something underhanded.

Ever spoke next, "You said Kaos was there?" Her mouth was agape from disbelief. "Seriously? Kaos, that moron from Skylanders?"

"I'm serious," Joshua nodded again. "But he's not an idiot. He's competent, he's with Skylands, and he knows I'm from another world."

"Wow," she said. "That's crazy. Your situation sounds like one massive crossover gone to hell."

"Sounds about right." Joshua stretched and reclined back. "It'd be nice if I stay here. I really don't want to go back to that place. But... somehow I have this weird feeling I'm not going to be here long." His eyes went from Spyro, to Ever and Lillian, and Cynder. "I hope you guys have advice for me." He fixed his stare on Spyro. "Or at least an answer. I'd like to know why MY Spyro hates me so much."

The adult Spyro let out a sigh. It took a minute for him to speak. "Four years after the War... those were really hard times. Warfang was still rebuilding then, and it's just as you described it. We had problems with refugees. People refused to accept Cynder. I had to spend all my time either defending her or making sure Warfang was safe from all threats—internal or external.

"We never had the same problems like your Warfang. This 'Skylands Empire' doesn't exist here. That sorcerer you and Ever know as Kaos, he doesn't exist here. We had to deal with Apes and remnants of the Dark Army instead. It was terrible. If it weren't for Ever and the few friends she made over here, we might not have made it this far."

"That's another long story, Spyro," remarked the old lady. "Let's not get into that."

Cynder shuffled next to the gamer. "Joshua, what he's saying is, if you ever find yourself back there, you need to give your Spyro a break. He's under enormous pressure. Warfang was a powder keg in those years. The slightest spark could ruin everything. So when your Spyro looks at you he sees a great threat to the city he loves, and nobody's doing anything about it."

"What should I do then?"

Spyro chuckled. "If he's anything like me—like I was in those days, then you really can't do anything about it. I'm stubborn when I believe I'm in the right. You won't win him over with just words, whether it's yours or someone else's." The dragon smiled at Joshua. "You need to do it with action. You have to prove him wrong, and you have to be consistent about it. My best guess: it will take a few months before he realizes his mistake."

"A few months?" Joshua shrieked. "Oh my god! You gotta be f*cking kidding me! I can't do that. I'll go nuts!"

"You have to," insisted this world's Spyro. "You need him watching your back. I don't really know anything about the world you're in, but judging by your story you'll end up having extremely dangerous enemies someday. You'll need every ally you can get."

Joshua groaned. "Ughhh."

Cynder's tail nudged him by the shoulder. "Joshua, I have a request. Spyro's the most important thing that ever happened to me." The two took a moment to sweetly rub against each other. "I can't imagine what it's like to fight with him, but it must be horrible for your Cynder. You need to keep them together. Please."

He nodded. "That goes without saying! You and Spyro are my heroes. I don't want to be the reason your counterparts break up!" Then he deflated, his confidence fading away. "But, like all things, it's easier said than done."

Joshua felt Ever's hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about that," she assured him. "It'll happen as long as you don't give up trying."

"Thank you, Ever."

The old lady grinned back at him. It was a nice moment, but Spyro just had to ruin it. "Joshua, what're your plans now? What we just talked about... that'll only apply if you got back to your Warfang. But if that doesn't happen—

Joshua cut him off, staring intensely at the dragon. "My long-term plan hasn't changed. I will find my way back home. I... I gotta get back to my family."

"But what about Kilat?" Ever asked. "You'll just leave her alone like that?"

The gamer glared at her. "I'll miss her, but Kilat's a strong girl. She'll be back on her paws without me. The kid's a lightning prodigy. Someone like her, she'll have a bright future. Besides, if I'm gonna be stuck here, why the f*ck will I go look for a way back to the other Warfang? I want to go home! To Earth! It's where I belong, not here!"

"I, I-I see," Ever muttered. "You do make good points there, Joshua." She heaved a long, wistful sigh. Her sphere of life shrunk.

"Ever," Joshua called to her. "You don't belong here either. Why are you still here? You had more than half your life to look for a way home."

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other. Joshua noticed. They must know her life story. They knew the reason.

The old lady frowned. Inexplicable sadness etched itself on her face. "I had to stay. A friend needed me. His entire family died in a Grublin attack. He threw himself off of a waterfall once. I, I couldn't let him do that again. I had to stay with him - be with him, until I knew he was okay."

"Grublins? That's around DotD. He probably got over it a few years after that. I bet he's doing well for himself right now."

"Tyren's a knight-captain at the Warfang temple," Spyro interjected. "He's been there for at least tweny years."

"Exactly my point. So why the HELL did you give up?"

"Because I grew to love it here!" Ever whipped her free hand at the two dragons. "I've got great friends! I've got the city's respect! I made a life for myself here. There's almost nothing waiting for me back home."

"That's just bullshit and you know it." Otherwise he wouldn't be sensing the agitation and anger sloshing around in her sphere of life.

"I—

"Y'know what? I shouldn't be arguing this with you to begin with. You do you! So, just go live out the rest of your days here. It's too late for you anyway. Me? I'll find my way home or die trying." Joshua got to his feet. He hoped Spyro would let him stay at his place for a couple days while he planned his next move, because Ever definitely wasn't going to, not after what he just said.

The old lady faltered, contrary to his expectations. The livid glint in her eyes vanished. For a second it was as though the old lady regressed to her own adolescent self. "If only I had your determination," she admitted, allowing pain to creep onto her face. "But what's done is done. There's nothing I can do now, even if I'd like to know with all my heart what would've happened if I told Ignitus I wanted to leave."

Ever forced herself to smile. "I have regrets, Joshua. Everyone does. At least I'm happy."

"Ever..."

Things started to click in Joshua's head. Puzzle pieces began falling into place, slowly forming an image that only someone in the gamer's position would recognize.

Ever. Tyren. Lily. The old lady who freed SpyCy from the time crystal. Ignitus giving her the opportunity to leave.

Joshua gasped. "Holy shit! You're Ever Riley!" The girl from SnickerToodles' _Impossible Sky_. A noteworthy _Spyro _fanfiction on its own. "Fighter Girl! The misfit pretending to be a cheetah!"

It was Ever's turn to gasp. "How do you know that? I never said anything about myself."

"Because someone already wrote your story in my Earth."

Ever cackled. "So I'm a fanfiction character too? Ha! Life can be so hilarious."

"I know how it ends, Ever. It's been finished for a while now."

"Don't bother," she said. "I'm going to die an old hag in Warfang. That's obvious -

"No! This, t-this life you have. This, everything!" Joshua gestured at Spyro and Cynder, at Lily, at their surroundings. "This was just a dream sequence. An alternate future! The Ever in that story realized this and knew it wasn't what she wanted."

Her life signature suddenly burst into life. Anticipation blazed in her eyes. "What happened?" she asked—she demanded. "Tell me." Ever clasped the gamer's shoulders and clung tight. "Tell me!"

"'You went with Ignitus, Ever. He guided you to the White Isle. The Chronicler sent you home."

"But... Lily? What about Lily? Did I make it? Is she okay?"

"Yeah! You were supposed to be dead, but you—

A jolt of electricity suddenly coursed through Joshua's body. He screeched, sight going white. The young man felt intense, blinding pain tormenting his entire body. The worst he had ever felt.

Yet as soon as it happened, it was gone. Vanished in a literal flash of light. Joshua Renalia's eyes snapped open. A yellow blur stood over him.

A wet, slimy tongue went up his face.

"Joshua!" cried a familiar voice. "Finally, you're awake."

It was his sister's. He'd know it anywhere. "K-Kilat?"

Joshua sprung up. Viridian eyes panned the room. He was back. Back in his Warfang. In his room. The teenager blinked. Was, that... was all that just a dream?

He scrunched his eyes. Joshua remembered meeting Ever Riley from _The Impossible Sky_, but she wasn't exactly the same girl from the fanfic. He recalled meeting adult Spyro and Cynder, but... what the hell did they talk about?

Joshua couldn't remember a thing. It was all a cloudy haze in his head. He tried to sort out the image. He clung to it, chanting how he mustn't forget. How he must at least remember bits and snips of it.

Kilat ruined it all when she climbed up on him and gave the gamer a slow lick around his head. "Ughhhh, Kilat! Don't do that while my mouth's open!"

The child's tail wagged excitedly. "Not my fault you're slow in the mornings! Joshua, come on! Take off your clothes." She licked her chops. "It's bath time!"

"Why are you in such a hurry anyway?"

"Don't you remember? Volty said he's taking you to class today. My class!" She ran in circles on the floor. "Big brother's gonna be in MY class! I'm so excited!"

Oh yeah... that. He totally forgot about that "special arrangement" Voleer told him about. It was Day 2, and he'd much rather have this than scrubbing dragon excreta off the lavatoria. Joshua felt stupid as soon as he realized he could've slept away his only opporturnity to raise his station in the Temple.

F*cking dragons and their mornings. Why did the Realms have to copy Earth that way?

Welp, no use complaining about it now. Joshua started stripping himself down until he wore nothing else other than a crude, handsown underwear. "All right, Kilat. Go for it." He braced himself for the utter gross about to come.

"Yey! I promise, today's bath will be quick!" She put her weight on him until he was forced to lean back and recline. "Okay, Joshua. Stretch your right arm out. Now hold still..."

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* * *

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Ever Riley gaped at the spot Joshua Renalia had been in, as did Spyro and Cynder.

She felt like cursing. For once in her life the girl found a way to learn what would have—what could have happened had she left Warfang for her journey home, only to have it snatched away the second she started receiving news of that so-called alternate reality.

"Are you alright?" Cynder asked her. She padded close and nuzzled the old human. "You almost got the answers you wanted."

Ever massaged the dragoness on her withers. "Thank you, Cyn. It's okay. Joshua did manage to say what meant to me the most."

That she made it. That, in another plane of existence, she decided to go home and made it back.

Joshua didn't have the chance to clarify whether her other self actually found her way back to Lily or how exactly the Chronicler sent her home—that "you were supposed to be dead" line sent cold shivers down her spine. In fact, Ever would never figure out these answers for the last few years of her life.

Ever would pass away in the near future certain of one thing: Fighter Girl made it back. It would have been nice to be that girl, but it was also fine being the Ever who stayed behind. No matter which one it was, all the Ever Rileys in the infinity of the multiverse would never, ever give up on anything they did. If one chose Lily despite everything, then for sure Lily—her dear sister Lily—would be just fine.

That alone drew out the biggest smile on her face. For the first time in her life the darkness weighing down on her heart floated away. The girl could truly, finally, be at peace.

Spyro sniffed the empty spot Joshua had just been in. "His scent's still here," he noted. "Smells like the ocean, mixed with another dragon's scent."

Ever giggled. "At least we know he's been telling the truth."

"At least we know he's real," Cynder added.

Spyro couldn't help staring at the empty space. "Do you think he's going to be okay? I know I can be ruthless to my enemies."

"Spyro, he'll be fine," said the old girl. "He'll get through to your other self eventually. Joshua's a whiner. Kid must've been sheltered all his life. Even so he never gave me the impression of someone who gives up when things get tough.

"Though I would be lying if I didn't say I was jealous of him. He had an Element of his own." And it looked sick. Life must've been so much easier for the kid, having superpowers and all.

If only she knew just how hard it was for him.

"Whatever happens to Joshua over there," Cynder mused, "I hope he finds happiness."

"I'm with you on that." Ever smiled. She rubbed the hatchling Lily on her belly. She looked cute, squirming in her arms. "Shall we go inside? I'm starting to get hungry."

Spyro reminded the girl. "You promised you'll cook something from your world, Ever. We've been looking forward to it all week!"

"I got it covered, big guy. C'mon, let's get out of here."

.

.

.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

When i finished this story, I realized TIS was first posted in 2017. Considering that Joshua is assumed to have vanished anywhere from the fourth quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016, this means it would've been impossible for Joshua to have read and finished TIS.

My apologies for the glaring continuity error. Just roll with it. It won't detract from the story.

Anyway, finally done! Now... back to writing Chapter 35.


	2. Entry 2: Unexpected Hostage

** Author's Notes:**

Another crossover shortfic for you guys to read while I'm busy writing Chapter 38. (It's almost done, btw! Like, 80% finished. :D)

Anyway, this little piece here... I actually wrote this a couple weeks before I wrote "Advice and Answers" (y'know, the short story featuring Joshua Renalia and Ever Riley, which is now the previous chapter). _But_ I never really thought about putting this one up until now, since it was meant to be a writing exercise after all.

Specifically, a writing exercise meant as a trial run for me on writing combat scenes that involve Joshua in a state where he's more proficient in using his Element.

I'm hesitant on posting this because of some spoilers it holds for the main story, plus I really _don't_ want to get people's hopes up for a "multiverse" thing when that was never in the plans to begin with. Why do you think I renamed this as "Meaningless Crossovers" to begin with?

But I guess it'll be safe. Good luck finding those spoilers! Because NONE OF THIS IS CONSIDERED _AIMLESS_ CANON. It's just me having fun! XDDD

Enjoy!

* * *

_Second Entry: Aimless x Firelight_

* * *

**Unexpected Hostage**

_"Don't wait until you're in a crisis to come up with a crisis plan."_

_\- Phil McGraw_

* * *

"You again."

Joshua unsheathed his sword. He gave it a spin. It was lighter than his old swordbreaker, plus he had to watch the edge. He growled. He didn't have a good chance of getting out of this one.

The human faced the person before him, sixth sense concentrating on their sphere of life. The blade shone brightly with the familiar purplish-white glow of the Unknown Element. The other person's life signature remained calm at the sight of his power. This wasn't someone he should take lightly.

"I didn't expect someone to follow me here."

They were cloaked in heavy garments. A hood covered their face, but it couldn't conceal the tan fur lining their muzzle. "We just made a major investment in the Second Transcendent." A female voice. "There's no way we're letting you go this easily."

Joshua grunted, frustrated by her answer. She knew what he was. That was never a good thing. "Who are you working for?"

She smirked. "Why should I tell you? You're just trying to buy yourself some time."

Joshua eyed their surroundings. A dead medieval city. Roads made of cobblestones, characterized by signs of destruction and conflict. Pieces of stone were missing from their places and some had been scattered to the side. Decrepit buildings the color of sand, all overtaken by nature. He could feel a pulse of life a quick run away, and another one, deeper in the dead city. Distance, a kilometer perhaps. The first one hovered next to a fountain in another courtyard, with four stone dragons built around it. Joshua couldn't see the person in the real world. Whoever it was, it was observing them both, employing magic similar to Joshua's own imperceptibility. He could sense anger and incredulity in their swirling sphere.

"And why would I do that? We're the only ones here. Nobody's coming to help me anytime soon."

"If it makes things more interesting, I pulled the strings to orchestrate your jailbreak. It took a while, but I eventually did it. You actually should be thanking me. I made sure their trackers couldn't find you."

"What?" Joshua's eyes popped open. He snarled. "Wait a goddamn minute! I wanted to be free, but I didn't want that to come at the expense of—

Hooded Girl reproached him. "Wrong answer, Second!" Her hands—both covered in gloves—shone with light as they circled the air in unrecognizable patterns.

Small portals the size of basketballs materialized above them. They ejected scores of flaming rocks and hurled them to the ground. Meteorites! Joshua could sense Hooded Girl's mana maintaining the tiny portals, but there were just too many to sever. He had to fight her directly. The human sprinted to his enemy, raised his blazing sword, and cried out.

The furred muzzle sneered at him.

A fierce blow to the side came out of nowhere. Incomprehensible force blindsided Joshua and sent him flying into the air. The Unknown Element scattered instantly. He landed gracelessly on the ground and rolled a few times. Joshua spat out blood. "F*ck! What the hell was that?"

Hooded Girl's cloaking spell wore off at the attack. It dissolved like water, revealing a magic golem that looked like a walking tripod with a teardrop-shaped center. Its lone eye shone ominously down at him. A deep, blood red. An intimidating sight. Joshua had already reached his maximum height of 1.7 meters as an adult and he was less than half as it was tall.

Definitely bigger than an adult dragon. Joshua growled. All he could pick up from it was static, with brief—very brief—flashes of something he could work on. Something he could manipulate. He had a very, very long way to go before he could sense raw magic.

"I came prepared. Never underestimate a witch. How about you give up and come with me? My mistress—

"Your mistress can go to hell!" He dashed sideways, concentrating on a picture of draping Harry Potter's invisible cloak around himself.

"Discernment, deliberation, determination," flowed Joshua's murmurs while he raised his left hand. A white lance appeared in his grasp. He visualized throwing it at Hooded Girl and watching it split into three pieces as it punched into her at the speed of light.

"Hiding yourself from my senses won't work!" Hooded Girl raised her glowing hands and clapped, emitting a sound strong enough to distract Joshua and give him a stinging headache, his head rattling with tolling bells.

"Must keep the pictures together," he told himself. "Gotta, keep... the, the pictures together!" Pain prickled his nose. Joshua cursed. Goddammit, he didn't expect the bleeding to start so soon.

Joshua threw the lance like an Olympian throwing the javelin. As though moved by an act of God, it accelerated faster towards Hooded Girl with no mercy. This one was meant to seriously hurt. A well-placed strike could easily cause organ failure.

The tripod golem charged right at him. A red beam shot out its eye, aiming straight at Joshua's location. The man dived into a roll and barely evaded the charge. He raised his sword to obstruct the next attack. Something that shouldn't have mass bore heavily down on Joshua's sword and caused his muscles to quake. He felt his head ache as he manipulated the energy lance and split into three pieces, giving Hooded Girl no room to dodge. The migraine worsened.

The mantra. He had to say the mantra! "Discernment, deliber—AAHHHH!" Joshua screamed from searing pain on his hands. He swung the sword and threw it to the side. One brief glimpse, and he saw it melted beyond recognition. Now he had nothing left to defend himself with. He didn't have any armor on—his clothes scavenged from dead Apes his size—and the attack had done precisely what it was supposed to do: destroy Joshua's mental picture and dissolve the Unknown Element.

"Shit." They knew his weaknesses.

"Give it up, Second," Hooded Girl said, as though reading his mind. "Mistress will be forming a portal at my coordinates in five minutes. Ten at most. You—

She suddenly twitched and turned to the side. Joshua saw a long, furry ear tip out from beneath the hood. A rabbit? This bitch was a f*cking rabbit?

"Hold on. We have an intruder among us." Hooded Girl frowned. "I don't like spies." One wave of a hand and an invisible force took hold of the imperceptible life form observing them from afar and drew it towards them. Joshua sensed its sphere of life going frantic at the sudden turn of events, wildly shrinking, radiating intermittently as it cast some sort of magic on Hooded Girl in complete, utter futility.

"Let's see what we have here."

The space in front of Hooded Girl seemed to shatter into countless fragments, revealing a small animal as big as a bobcat back on Earth. Its limbs were pressed into its body by the same ethereal force that pulled it here to begin with. Joshua eyed the feathered wings on its back suspiciously, recognition entering his gaze as he focused on its bright, blue eyes, its blue mouth, and the way it looked just like a fox.

The poor thing bared its teeth. "Let me go! I didn't do anything!" It—she snarled, her voice higher than Hooded Girl's but just as feminine. "I was just watching, I swear! I wasn't going to do anything."

"I believe you."

"Then release me already!"

Hooded Girl snorted. "No. You should've just flown away." Her magic hummed in the air, weaving into a frightening, translucent sickle. "Vulpalas are extinct where I'm from. I'm sure my mistress will find a use for your soul."

"W-w-what? No! You can't be - Why?" The fox squirmed. She struggled harder to escape. There was no use.

Meanwhile, memories of a bygone past hammered Joshua's head. Memories he had long forgotten, after all the time he had spent away from Earth and the glory that was the Internet. Astonishment couldn't begin to describe his feelings. He simply did not expect a development like this.

"...Nuala?" Joshua tested, hoping it wasn't true. God sure had a way of playing tricks on him.

The winged fox snapped her head at him, to his horror. "H-how... how did you know my name? Answer me, you... you furless ape!"

Hooded Girl cackled like the witch she was. "Oh Joshua, you are full of surprises! I don't know how in the Realms you pulled that off, but what a coincidence. Just when I needed a hostage! See, we couldn't steal Kilat from Warfang now that it's under heavy guard, but this pest will do just fine. She's much weaker than your sister."

Joshua clenched his fist and ransacked his brain for ideas, for anything he could use to get out of this situation.

He was at a loss. What the hell was he going to do now?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

...TBH that bit with Nuala came out as totally random. So if she's OOC... eh, then she's OOC. Like I said earlier, this is just me having fun.

But hey, it works. I guess.


	3. Entry 3: Turnaround

** Author's Notes:**

Direct continuation of the previous chapter, "Unexpected Hostage".

I felt like I had to continue it, since Joshua was in a tight spot and he needed to get out of it, not to mention that it was an even better opportunity for me to demonstrate how an older and more experienced Joshua, proficient in the Unknown Element, would fight.

Once again, this will not be considered _Aimless _canon, though you can probably gleam traces of what is or what will be canon from here. Ahh, the price of having fun.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Third Entry: Aimless x Firelight_

* * *

**Turnaround**

_"When you're in a turnaround situation, you cannot incrementalize your way out of it."_

_\- Steve Easterbrook_

* * *

An untouchable golem to his left.

Hooded Girl in front, with a hostage in grasp. A hostage that turned out to be someone from the main cast of one of his favorite _Spyro_ fanfiction.

Nuala was all alone. This was definitely the city she masqueraded as Statica in. Joshua had a feeling she hadn't met Charla and Lance yet. So he had no allies coming to help.

"Surrender," urged the witch. "Give up now and I'll spare the vulpala. There's nothing else you can do."

Her sphere of life radiated confidence. Strings of mana linked her to the life dangling within her chains of magic and... to the golem watching over him?

Hmm...

.

.

.

Perhaps there was a way out after all.

Twin daggers of pure, white light materialized in his left hand. Conjured from mana and thought alone, the man hurled them at Hooded Girl with a clear mental picture of her clutching her neck, unable to breathe. He shelved the image aside in his short-term memory the second the daggers shot out.

"Your struggling is useless!" shouted Hooded Girl while she bent backwards to avoid the twin daggers. "Now suffer!"

The golem started to move. It lifted its enormous legs and hurled itself at the enhanced human with every intention of crushing him beneath its weight. Joshua knew it wouldn't kill him, but if he was caught, he was finished.

Luckily Hooded Girl was distracted enough for Joshua Renalia to tap into his sixth sense, perceive the spheres of life before him—the one brimming with power and tendrils of magic—and dive into it while simultaneously leaping in an attempt to toss his body out of harm's way.

Rather than fully immersing his self into Hooded Girl he lingered on the surface. He ignored the sensation of surprise bursting into existence in his chest—and the hot, radiating power at his fingertips—so he could snap the tendrils of mana by sheer force of will.

Joshua was silently chanting his mantra in each and every moment. As a reward for his efforts, the magic connecting Hooded Girl to both Nuala and the golem vanished into the ether. The golem crashed into the ground and, severed from its source of power, did not get up.

"Nuala! RUN!" She did not need any convincing to instantly fly away from the witch, but Nuala wouldn't—she couldn't get far considering the injuries she suffered in Hooded Girl's hands.

"I-impossible!" cried Hooded Girl. Even her ethereal scythe disappeared.

Joshua tucked his head in and transitioned into a roll. When he got back on his feet, he maintained his momentum with his fist cocked back, encased in white. "Says you, bitch!"

"I'm not that easy," Hooded Girl growled. She brought up her hand, the gloved palm facing forward, and shot out rays of blue, frigid coldness...

In the wrong direction.

The rays flew through empty space and hit nothing. Hooded Girl gnashed her teeth. "An illusion! I'll kill that damn fox!"

"Not if I kill you **first**!" Joshua yelled and thrust his fist at her muzzle.

Hooded Girl's head leaned to the side at the last second and evaded the attack. The orb enveloping Joshua's hand suddenly exploded, yet she had the awareness and the reflexes to crouch a split-second earlier. The move narrowly saved her. Her sphere of life burst with intention. A glint of metal slipped out one of her sleeves, and the only thing that was visible was a prismatic blur of light. Caught at a precarious position, Joshua Renalia exploited his momentum and leaped. His body pirouetted in the air in a quick somersault. It was the only thing he could've done.

Magical energies weren't connecting Hooded Girl to her weapon. An enchanted sword! There was no f*cking way in hell he could defend against that unarmed.

Joshua smoothly rolled across the cobblestones the second his feet met solid ground. He ignored the pain on his back, on his neck, and snatched a small stone on the way up. Once more, he muttered the three D's and, seeing his Element coat the pebble, chucked the tiny thing in the witch's direction.

Hooded Girl saw the stone coming and slashed at it, her magic blade cutting it apart before it could touch her. She sprinted towards Joshua in a display of agility unbecoming of a sorceress.

Joshua, though, did not expect his attack to succeed. It was meant to buy him a few seconds for him to take a step back and raise his left hand. Five orbs the size of tennis balls materialized before his open palm and shot out noiselessly at his opponent, as five beams of energy. The white rays flickered as Joshua's head throbbed, the pain worse than before. His left ear popped. It hurt. He felt fluid leak out. Joshua hissed, but what else could he do? He didn't have much of a choice here!

Hooded Girl evaded the first two rays of what must've been certain death for her. She then turned into a rainbow-colored streak of light and outmaneuvered the remaining three. Joshua ground his teeth. He did not anticipate the witch tapping into movement magic here. She was approaching too fast. He didn't have time to extend his ego boundaries and disintegrate the invisible bonds tethering her spell to her soul. "F*ck!"

Joshua pushed down on the ground as soon as the rainbow light drew near. The witch materialized in the real world, airborne. She descended upon him, her rippling sword coming down fast. It was surrounded in an ethereal coating with five colors, each denoting the traditional elements of the Dragon Realms. Joshua stomped the ground as strongly as he could and sidestepped away from the center. Alas, Hooded Girl expected this reaction. The rabbit thrust a kick out at Joshua the second he landed. A padded foot big enough to leave an imprint on his face rushed out towards his midsection.

.

.

.

All according to plan.

Hooded Girl's counterattack was perfect for a typical close quarters match. Had it been any other fighter, they would've been knocked off their feet and promptly sliced up with the elemental sword. Likely, this was a reflex borne from training and experience, but this move would certainly be the witch's downfall.

Because Joshua's Element only required physical touch. It penetrated armor, clothing, and the environment as though they weren't there. A white aura encased Joshua's body as soon as that rabbit's foot slammed into his solar plexus. It vanished instantly when it hit, but by then the damage was done. While Joshua flew into the air, propelled by magically-empowered strength, Hooded Girl stumbled. Her foot no longer moved. A dark color spread through her extended leg. As per his mental picture, her leg now suffered heavy, internal bleeding. Blood vessels were bursting. Muscles were convulsing. And it would only keep spreading through her body if left alone.

The witch snarled. Without hesitation she raised her magic blade and amputated her foot from the knee down. A quick, decisive action that stopped Joshua's Element from spreading. "You're more skilled than I expected, Second," she said. "Even more impressive considering where you were just a week ago."

"Years of practice, lady," the man said. Joshua conceived a sword in his hands. An immaterial weapon constructed using his element. It came to life in the physical world. He faltered, almost collapsed. A bout of dizziness washed over him. His other ear popped. "Bring it on. There's more where this came from."

Hooded Girl scowled. "This is NOT over." Her sword vanished into the air. Once more, she became a rainbow streak of light. It soared high into the sky and flew out, growing farther and farther away.

Joshua grimaced. He dispelled his own magic and clutched his head. "F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f******ck that hurts. I haven't done that in a while." He fell on his knees, got himself half a minute's worth of rest.

But he couldn't stay here. He had to escape immediately. Hooded Girl mentioned her mistress was in the middle of opening a portal right on top of him.

Joshua concentrated on the lone pulse of life remaining motionless a few meters away, by the corner of a ruined building. He wobbled in its direction, wiping off the fluid dripping out of his ears as best he could. It was blood.

When Joshua turned the corner, he saw Nuala lying down, her eyes shut. She must have succumbed to whatever magic Hooded Girl subjected her to. And God, she looked _pitiful_. "Nuala, are you okay?" said the man. "Speak to me. Hey!"

He knelt down in front of her and slapped her muzzle. Lightly. "Hey. Hey! Wake up!"

Nothing.

Joshua took the unconscious winged fox into his arms and lifted her up to his chest. She was lighter than he thought. Terrifyingly lighter. Riverstyxx's art never made it look that way.

He was exposed to the world—to Hooded Girl's mistress—without her illusions. He needed a hideout, quickly! Thankfully, there was one other place he could go to. He didn't know how much time they had left, but any hiding place was better than none at all. He could make plans for the future later, once they were all safe.

And so he jogged towards the one remaining pulse of life in this dead city.

To Meredy, the sky serpent in _Firelight_.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

If you guys want me to continue this, please let me know through DMs or on reviews left on the story proper or on this one.

Speaking of the story proper... the 38th chapter is actually finished. It clocks in at 12,500 words and it will be my last chapter for the year. The last third of the document is unedited though, and I'm waiting on strykeruk's feedback before I publish it.

Y'all are gonna like it. It's enjoyable. XD Well, he had fun reading it. I can only hope you guys will feel the same way...

Time to play the waiting game now... *sigh*


End file.
